Anything For The Ones You Love
by savingvenus-xo
Summary: Thalia can't fight it any more - she needs him. Not just that, she needs to help him, although he doesn't make it easy for her. One shot. Thalico. Extract on my profile.


You'll do anything for the ones that you love. A concept which is hard to agree with when the only loves you have are superficial.

It seems absurd that you would willingly do something for someone else which would endanger your life or make it worse somehow. But when that person asks you - hell, they don't even need to _ask _- you know you have to as if it's a second nature. Just the look of need in their eyes hurts your own heart beyond breaking point until you make the pain go away, if not for them but for your own sake.

It's a new concept for her; around her are the most strong-willed girls which are immune to the pangs of guilt buried deep inside their eyes, although she can still see the suffering. They have all been hurt, have felt that exact pain which has lead them to a life away from the torture and unfairness of it all. However she didn't choose this lifestyle due to past memories. That makes it that much harder to keep up her poker-face.

Being the lieutenant makes it even harder - she has to not only fool herself, but everyone else looking up to her to model their unbreakable expressions based on hers. It was hard enough last year; now she has to go back and they'll be the same age now.

The group of hunters follow the worn natural path leading to the top of the hill, a few newer hunters still pausing to take in the divine site displayed before them. The other half of the group mutter profanities about having to stay for a few weeks, however Thalia clenches her jaw, trying to resist placing her hand over her heart to check how fast it's beating.

As they walk past the pine tree at the top of the hill the others look at it as any other pine, but Thalia strays to the back of the group to place an unblemished hand on one of the lower branches. How long had it been since she awoke from her prison? It's hard to keep track when your days always consist of notching arrows.

Further down the path they go, a few glances here and there but most campers ignore the hunters - probably still bitter since losing that game of Capture the Flag. Then there's Chiron, standing next to a familiar face. Her hair had grown out, now probably reaching the bottom of her ribcage if she had left it down. But this was Annabeth; when was the last time she did anything because it looked nice? This girl was all about practicality. Chiron's eyes land on our group, a wise smile playing lightly on his lips. He gently nudged Annabeth, who was watching the youngest-looking campers' sword practise with intense eyes and knitted eyebrows. _You missed your chance to lunge!_ she could image Annabeth thinking.

But as soon as she focused back on the situation playing out in front of her, an ecstatic smile placed itself firmly on her face. Her eyes were locked on Thalia instantly, probably checking for wounds, scars; anything to indicate a problem. When she came up empty the hunters were standing a few yards away from her.

'Hunters,' Chiron had greeted. 'To what do we owe this pleasure?'

Thalia couldn't speak as she tried to keep the gleeful smile off her face. She didn't trust her voice not to be an octave higher than normal: she had a reputation to uphold.

'It is Lady Artemis' wish whilst she is away at, er, business,' Phoebe supplemented, standing on Thalia's right.

Thalia nodded. Chiron raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment on her silence. On the other hand Annabeth looked like she may explode from lack of contact with Thalia.

'Very well. Do _try_ to enjoy your stay,' Chiron said with a hint of sarcasm. Many of the hunters already looked bored and disgusted with their surroundings, like they could sense the Y chromosomes.

Thalia turned to the girls. 'You heard the man - er - centaur. Go settle in and do whatever you want.'

They groaned quietly in unison, but followed their orders without too much complaint. Thalia spun back around to see Annabeth much, much closer than before. 'Oh gods I've missed you.'

That was putting it lightly compared to what Thalia felt. They hugged, the smell of lemon - and was that sea salt? - lingering in Thalia's nose, making her wonder why she ever chose to join the hunters. Then, of course, like every time, she remembered.

'How's kelp head? You guys still to- wait, stupid question,' Thalia winked as they untangled themselves.

Maybe any other time Annabeth would have replied with a smart comment but right now she was just too happy that her best friend (who had saved Annabeth's life too many times to count) was right in front of her for the first time in months. She just laughed and said, 'Yes we're still together. It's going to be a year soon - can you believe that?'

And so the conversation carried on, many 'how was your year's and 'I've missed you loads's. Before either of them knew it it was time for dinner - a time Thalia had been dreading with excitement as much as nerves.

By the time she and Annabeth had arrived the dining pavilion was pretty much full - half-bloods loved their food. Quick 'hello's were said to familiar faces, a tackle by Percy which was followed by a plethora of 'sorry's once he had remembered about the maiden part of her immortality. This only made her more sick with anxiety - along with the thought of _What does he look like now? Has he changed? Will he remember me? _

Thalia went about the dinner routine as if it was a regular occurrence, whereas in fact Thalia could count the number of times she had dined here. Homesickness washed over her as she realised that _this _was her home.

After she had burnt her offerings she glanced around the room. To anyone else she may have looked wistful, and possibly a little lost, whereas in fact she was looking for someone in particular. She would have thought he'd be easy to spot (which made her heartbeat slightly irregular) but she remembered he had a way of blending into the shadows.

Suddenly her eyes zeroed in on the boy in question. The distance between them was large, but ever since Thalia had been granted immortality her senses had become sharper, allowing her to observe the boy carefully from a distance.

She studied his disposition - his shoulders slouched forward in a demeanour which suggested he was attempting to hide away from the others and be sucked up my his aviator jacket, which was still a few sizes too big on him. His hair didn't have a particular style; it was probably best described as a mess. He looked as if he had just woken up - the dark shade under his eyes supported this - and couldn't be bothered to brush it. It was quite long for a boy, the longest sections at the back reaching his shoulders. Jet black hair luminated by the moon rising fell across his forehead and into his eyes. He would occasionally take a break from pushing around his dinner with a fork and use his left hand to push the locks away from his eyes. However as soon as his head moved the hair would fall again.

Thalia gently squeezed her eyes shut once she realised how long she had been studying the son of Hades (others would have called it staring). She weaved her way through the tables full of campers and took her place on the Artemis table. The seat she chose had a perfect view of him, which made it look like she was looking at Phoebe. She heard the grumbles and complaints of the hunters, their accusations toward the male population and their whines asking when Lady Artemis was coming back. In contrast all that was going through Thalia's mind was _how can I talk to him without the others assuming...things? _She didn't even know what she meant by _things, _but whatever the name enclosed she suspected it should stay a secret.

X-X-X

Sword practise.

How could she not have thought of this before? It was the perfect excuse.

(And it only took 3 hours of her precious sleep to come up with, not that she would admit it).

The plan was so formulated that Annabeth would have been proud to use it, or at least would have taken it into consideration, unlike many of Thalia's previous ideas.

Her army boots confidently climbed the steps up to the Hades cabin door. She knocked without a second thought, crossing her arms in a way that radiated courage. Although it all seemed to seep through her shoes when the door opened.

Nico stood in the door way, one arm leaning in the ajar door and the other was being used to remove the sleep from his eyes. She hadn't taken into consideration that he would have grown since last summer where he had barely touched her chin, but now she was about the height of his nose.

She also hadn't considered the possibility of her breath being stolen from her lungs, but she realised she hadn't taken a breath until she inhaled sharply. But who could blame her?

Before her stood a boy with a face so angelically distraught with pain that she thought he may have practised looking subtly disgusted in the mirror, his expression was that good. The slightest crinkle to his nose, the minor crease of his brow and the clenched jaw created the perfect image of someone who had been hurt so deeply that they promised themselves to never feel anything ever again. She could almost _see _the walls he had built up around himself.

Little flickers of doubt had crossed her mind previous to knocking on his door. _Why do I need to help him anyway?_ she had thought. But seeing his eyes now, she knew why she had to.

His eyes...there was no way she could encapsulate the sheer amount of pain in those eyes. He may have mastered how to control every other feature on his porcelain face but his eyes told the true story. The suffering hidden behind those onyx orbs was enough for Thalia to involuntarily shiver. Her mission was promised further into her heart. I_ will _help you.

'Th...Thalia?' came Nico's husky morning voice full of sleep. His voice sent shocks throughout her body - different to the ones she created herself. Her own electricity filled her with adrenalin and rage, whereas Nico's sent waves of pleasure and calm though her.

She swallowed and attempted to remove all shock from her expression (she was pretty sure her mouth was slightly open). 'Nico.'

His brow creased further when she didn't speak, but Thalia's mind was in a whirlpool of _he remembers me! _and _snap out of it!._

'Uh...is there a reason you're here?'

That snapped Thalia out of it. Made crazy by a boy, who would've thought. 'Actually, yeah, there is. Get dressed 'cos we're going sword fighting.'

X-X-X

'Why me?'

Thalia rolled her eyes. 'Because I need a partner who can actually put up a half-decent fight.'

'What about Percy?' Nico grumbled as he unsheathed his wicked Stygian iron sword. Thalia decided to address the sword instead because no matter how scary it looked at least she could concentrate on it, unlike when she looked at Nico's face.

Thalia couldn't help the tug on her lips as she smirked. 'Saw Annabeth go into his cabin half an hour ago. Do you really want to go see what they're up to?'

'Never mind' he muttered uncomfortably.

Thalia took out her Mace canister from her jeans pocket and expanded it into her Celestial bronze spear. She ordered electricity to pass through it so it crackled. She finally looked Nico in the eyes with a confident smirk. 'Ready?'

Nico stared wearily at her spear which was a metre from his face. 'How about no powers? Just regular combat.'

Thalia hesitated - she wasn't sure she could beat Nico without her powers. But if she hid behind them he would call her weak. And she was _definitely _not weak.

'You're on Death Breath.' Thalia made the electricity retreat as she took her battle stance. She legs were shoulder width apart and the arm holding the spear further out. Nico followed her lead as he did the same, holding his black sword at the ready.

Thalia made the first move by running forward, then stepping to the left to swing her spear. Nico spun away at the last second and swung low. Thalia managed to jump, pushing her spear downwards where Nico's sword intercepted her move, leaving them left face-to-face, both pushing hard on their weapons.

'Tired yet?' Nico asked, the slightest layer of sweat glistening on his face.

Thalia laughed, but it came out strained. Instead of replying she ducked and spun, her spear making contact with the back of Nico's knees. He buckled, landing on his hands, his sword clattering just out of reach. Thalia stood above him.

'Not in the slightest,' she answered.

He turned his face towards her, a small smile tugging at one corner of his mouth. Suddenly all joyous expressions were wiped from his face and replaced with surprise and horror. 'DUCK!'

Thalia didn't ask why, something she had learnt as a demigod. Just as she fell to the floor an arrow flew straight to where her arm would have been and into the armour rack.

Thalia zipped her head round, ready to electrocute the perpetrator. Ten metres away stood a short teenage girl with curly dark hair which landed in ringlets down her back, South Asian skin colour and the biggest eyes Thalia had ever seen. There were even bigger as the girl looked so shocked that her hands covered her mouth.

'Xena! You nearly shot her arm off!' the blond boy next to her chided. He was a typical Apollo kid - right down to the athletic body. He was much taller than her, which didn't help her height.

The girl, Xena, a horrified expression still plastered on her face, ran over to where Thalia was crouching. By now Nico had moved so he was next to her, panting lightly. That didn't help Thalia concentrate.

'Oh gods, I didn't mean that at all! Are you guys okay? I told him I was crap at archery!' she babbled. Thalia felt sorry for the girl; she remembered when she had just started archery. She couldn't hit a target for the life of her (but she could hit people _perfectly__)._

Thalia managed a strained laugh. 'Don't worry about it, you'll get better.'

Nico raised an eyebrow at her, as if to say_ when did you get so nice? _She ignored him.

Relief flooded the girl's face. 'Doubt it. Anyways I'll leave you guys to it,' she smiled.

Once she had run off to argue with her instructor Nico and Thalia faced each other, an amused expression on his face.

'I thought you were going to smite her into the ground.'

Thalia feigned disbelief. 'Me!? No way. I was totally calm.'

He raised his eyebrows until Thalia couldn't see them underneath his hair. 'I thought electricity was going to pour out your eyes.'

Thalia waved him off with her hand. Then her stomach grumbled so loudly it could have been heard in Tartarus. And, to top it all off, she felt her cheeks heat up.

Nico half-smirked, half-smiled. 'I guess we should go eat.'

_We._

Thalia shook her head to clear her thoughts. 'Yeah. Too bad I didn't get to whoop your arse.'

'I guess we'll have to rematch, then.'

Thalia couldn't help but smile, which didn't help with her blush at all. 'I guess we will.'

X-X-X

Percy had organised a secluded picnic for himself and Annabeth. It was the perfect spot between the forest and the beach, leaving an extraordinary view either side of the blanket.

However, his plan of having a romantic afternoon with his girlfriend was cruelly destroyed by his cousin who had decided to join them.

'Pass the strawberries would you, Perce?'

He shot a glare at Thalia as he begrudgingly shoved the bowl of strawberries in her direction. A smug expression planted itself on her face. He crossed his arms again.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. 'Come on Percy, we could have a picnic on our own any time. We have to make the most of our time with Thalia.'

Percy turned to Annabeth and saw Thalia next to her giving him the finger. It was incredibly hard for him not to ruin the moment and drench Thalia, but he knew Annabeth would kill him. She really would.

'I'm going for a swim,' he mumbled, standing up to take off his shirt. He always wore water proof shorts because, hey, you never know when you're going to throw your insanely hot girlfriend into the sea.

From the picnic blanket Thalia whistled sarcastically, and winked when Percy sent her a death glare. He dove cleanly into the water, not coming up for air. That was fine with Thalia.

'So, I hear you've been hanging around Nico,' Annabeth said, trying to sound casual. She twisted the leaf of a strawberry between her fingers.

Thalia shrugged, ignoring the pounding of her heart and thoughts in her head.

She swallowed. 'Yeah, so? How did you know?'

One side of Annabeth's lips lifted. 'The hunters told me.'

_Holy crap, the hunters know!?_ Thalia panicked. They were probably already making assumptions that she would go off with Nico and elope. Maybe even writing an angry letter of complaint to Artemis.

Thalia's lips made and 'O' shape, but no words came out.

Annabeth laughed shortly. 'Don't worry, most just think you want to show how you're better than the guys.'

She swallowed again. 'Most?'

'Yeah, the others think you're having an affair.'

Annabeth said it so calmly and filled with knowledge that Thalia knew she couldn't lie to her. Her cheeks heated up. 'No!'

Annabeth simply raised an eyebrow as if to say _N__uh-uh don't lie to me, I know all, I'm a daughter of Athena, blah blah._ Thalia turned her head both ways, checking that no one else was around to hear this conversation. Gods, imagine how humiliating it would be to be kicked out of the hunt _at camp_! Annabeth's eyes lit up. 'So it's true!' she exclaimed.

Thalia's eyes grew wide as she flapped her hands around, attempting to make Annabeth lower her volume. 'Shh! And no, it's not! I am not, I repeat _not _having an affair,' she stressed the word "affair", 'with Nico.'

Annabeth's eyebrows shot up, a smug smile on her lips. 'So, what _are _you guys having?'

'Gods that sounds like we're sleeping together,' she muttered. 'Which we're not,' she added hastily.

Annabeth kept her eyebrows up, silently telling Thalia to continue.

Just in time, Percy broke through the water with a smile on his face. 'Annabeth! The water's amazing, come in!'

Thalia could tell Annabeth was dying to know what she was going to say, but honestly she didn't know what to say herself. Was it a crush? Was it love? No...those were too strong. It was as if Nico interested her; he was wrapped in so much sadness and mystery. Yes - she simply found him interesting.

'Go,' Thalia said. She could tell she had ruined Percy's afternoon, and although she pretends to hate him she's honestly so happy he finally realised how he felt about Annabeth, even if it was obvious for everyone else.

Annabeth looked torn, but one look at her boyfriend's hopeful face and she cracked. 'Fine, but don't think this conversation is over!'

Thalia laughed. 'Go!'

She watched as Annabeth took off her camp shirt and capri shorts, leaving her in her plain white bikini, and ran towards Percy in the waist-deep water. She watched Percy take Annabeth in his arms and spin her round, Annabeth's laughs being heard throughout the forest. Thalia leaned back on the rock behind her, observing the couple and realising that as long as she stayed as a hunter she would never have this. Never have someone to hold her, to take care of her, to kiss her. Never have someone who would sulk when her attention had to be split and would make her laugh like a crazy person.

She wanted it to be Nico.

X-X-X

'Demigods!' roared Chiron's voice. 'The challenge has been decided!'

Chattering began around the camp fire. Every camper can squeezed themselves onto the logs around the fire, taking in the heat from the flames on the cold summer night. Thalia was wedged between Annabeth and a grumpy Clarisse who said, 'Lemme guess: Capture the Flag.'

'Scared we'll beat you again?' one of the hunters taunted. Many of the campers began mumbling profanities under their breath.

'Actually no, Clarisse. Today we will be trying out a new game - one we haven't, ah, named yet.' Chiron admitted. Excitement filled the camp fire. 'This game is only for the head counsellors. They will be divided into groups of two, where they will be sent into the forest to find and collect their goblet. The first to return shall be classed as the winners.'

'Sounds easy enough,' Jake said, head counsellor of the Hephaestus cabin.

'You will have to fight and _kill _every monster you face,' Chiron added.

'Of course,' he muttered.

'Well! Choose your partners.'

Thalia thought she was back in school: the sly looks to your friends, turning around casually whilst secretly scouting out a partner, the few people who were panicking over the best person to choose.

Thalia raised her hand. 'Chiron? I'll represent the Zeus cabin, so as my next in command Phoebe can represent the Artemis cabin.'

Phoebe smiled. 'It would be my pleasure.'

Soon most of the pairs were made: Percy and Annabeth (obviously), Clarisse and Will, Mel and Jake, Butch and Clovis, Pollux and Lou, Phoebe and Drew (just because she's a girl). Thalia looked in front of her to see Connor and Travis making their way towards her, massive smirks on their faces. She panicked, looking around for a different partner. Away from the group stood Nico; he had his hands in his pockets as he watched the crowd silently. Thalia ran up to him and hooked her arm with his, sticking her tongue out at the twins.

'I didn't know you liked me that much,' Nico said, amused. Thalia could feel heat radiating off him through his jacket, and she was thankful it was dark so he couldn't see her blushing.

She begrudgingly unhooked their arms. 'Very funny. I would even choose _Drew _over the Stolls any day.'

'Fair enough.'

The pairs made their way to the armour rack, which suggested that whatever monsters they were going to face weren't going to be easy kills. Thalia strapped on a breast plate, as did Nico. She observed him, her heart involuntarily beating faster. She scolded herself for ogling in such an open place, but she couldn't stop herself. She wanted him to let her in.

Once everyone was ready Chiron shouted, 'BEGIN!'

The dozen or so pairs ran in different directions into the forest. Soon Thalia and Nico were on their own, the only sounds surrounding them being twigs snapping, wind howling and their own breaths.

'Tactics?' Thalia asked. They continued walking nowhere in particular.

Nico spent a moment thinking. Thalia took this time to study his features - the moonlight made him look beautiful. His hair glistened, his features were accentuated by the lighting and his usually ghost-like skin colour looked more solid, as if he was in his element: darkness.

'I'm guessing the monsters will be around the goblets. Let's go find us a monster,' he suggested. Thalia nodded.

They carried on is silence, listening out for any irregular sounds or conflict, adjusting their course accordingly.

'Do you ever get lonely?'

Thalia hadn't realised she'd spoken until Nico looked at her, his eyebrows furrowed.

'I mean, I know everyone gets lonely,' she clarified. 'But don't you, I don't know...want to have someone to talk to?'

Nico gave her a steely expression. 'I'm fine on my own.'

'Come on, it must get boring. Not having anyone to talk to.'

'I'm _fine_,' he insisted, not meeting her eyes._  
_

Thalia sped up so she could block Nico's path. 'No, you're not. I can see it in your eyes.'

Nico looked away on purpose, eyeing a particular leaf of the ground. Thalia rolled her eyes at his immaturity and held his chin, lifting his head to look her in the eyes.

When he finally looked at her all her breath disappeared out of her lungs. His eyes looked like they had seen a thousand deaths, and were awaiting the rest. They were so burdened with pain that she couldn't find the words to say, although she had to many she wanted to voice. Her mouth just stayed slightly open, and she became very aware of how delicate his skin was under her touch, something she wouldn't expect from a son of Hades.

Before she could find what to say Nico's eyes grew wide as he pushed both of them to the right. Thalia fell hard on her left shoulder, expecting a bruise in the morning. 'What the-'

She stopped short when she saw the Hellhound. It was quite big, bigger than most she had seen. It's red eyes oozed hatred and it's thin waist told Thalia that this Hellhound hadn't eaten in a few days - and it was hungry.

She and Nico stood side-by-side, weapons at the ready. 'Maybe I can tame it, you know, since its from the Underworld,' Nico offered.

'Be my guest.'

Nico gingerly approached the hound, holding his sword back a bit to show he didn't want to fight. However this Hellhound looked famished enough to eat Hades himself. It growled and Nico back away apprehensively.

'Well that didn't work,' Thalia muttered, hey eyes locked on the beast.

'Got any bright ideas yourself, Sparky?'

'Now that you mention sparks...' Thalia's eyes flitted toward the same lake a few metres behind the Hellhound. 'Push the hound back. I'll take care of the rest.'

'Got it.' Nico advanced, keeping the Hellhound's back toward the lake as he slashed away at it's legs. Thalia joined in, but let Nico do most of the work. She concentrated on filling the lake with electricity, apologising to Poseidon about any dead marine life.

The Hellhound was only a few steps away from the water when it got with a lucky swipe at Nico's sword, scratching down his arm and hitting his weapon away.

Thalia found herself in front of Nico, protecting him from any other attacks. She felt new energy as she shouted a battle cry and stabbed repeatedly at the monster, backing it up until it fell straight into the electrifying water. Golden dust blew over them and settled into the night sky.

Thalia helped Nico up, holding his injured arm. Three slashes went from halfway down his forearm to the back of his hand, blood oozing out and dripping down his fingers.

'It's not as bad as it looks,' he offered.

She lightly touched one of the worse looking cuts, and he winced. She raised an eyebrow. 'Yeah, not that bad.'

He half smiled. 'I'm assuming you don't have any ambrosia..?'

Thalia shook her head. She removed her armour so she could take off her leather jacket. She cradled his arm in the jacket and stood right next to him, leaning forwards on her toes to tie the sleeves around his neck in a make-shaft sling. She adjusted the sleeves and regained her balance on the soles of her feet, her hands still placed on her jacket sleeves resting on Nico's shoulder. She looked at him to see him already watching her, his eyes fixated on hers. Their breaths mixed together in their close proximity.

'Yes,' Nico said quietly.

'What?' Thalia asked, her voice barely a whisper.

'Yes - I do get lonely.'

Thalia's heart started beating so fast she was sure Nico could hear it. He had finally admitted it - the start of him letting her in. Thalia's fingers inched their way up his shoulders, her desperate to wrap her arms around his neck and...what? Hug him? Kiss him? She couldn't do either. Even this position was cutting it thin with the hunters. However she didn't care about that right now. Her eye lids began to feel heavy and she was sure she could feel the heat from Nico's good hand a centimetre away from holding her waist until they were abruptly interrupted by the cheers of the campers. A team must have won.

Thalia and Nico scrambled away from each other, neither looking the other in the eye. 'We should, uh...'

'Yeah,' Thalia agreed. They jogged back to the camp fire in silence to hear all about how Clarisse brought the goblet back, with the "occasional aid from Will".

X-X-X

Thalia knew Annabeth would want to finish their conversation, and she knew that Annabeth was at the rock climbing wall, so naturally Thalia went to the sword fighting arena.

She found herself in amongst the hunters, all of whom were taunting the male campers, daring them to spar. Of course the boys' expressions resembled one of which most people get when someone asks _can I saw your arm off? _

Thalia forced a smile onto her face, whereas in fact she was beginning to sympathise with the boys. And for that she could only blame Nico.

Thalia wondered where he was. Granted she had scoured most of the camp looking for him, but where could he be? The only place she hadn't searched yet was behind the archery range...

Sure enough, once Thalia had weaved through the maze of campers she spotted the dark haired boy slashing away at a practice dummy. He had obviously moved the dummy so he was away from the others, which stung Thalia's heart. He shouldn't have to hide from everyone else; it wasn't fair.

She walked over to him calmly, contrasting to the state of her insides. Once she was a few metres away he sensed her presence, lowering his sword slightly but not facing her. 'Thalia.'

'Nico,' she greeted him, a sense of deja vu washing over her as she remembered their conversation at his cabin. That was what, three days ago? Her promise to herself wasn't any closer to being achieved.

Nico didn't say anything else, instead he began morosely assaulting the dummy again. Thalia carefully walked around him, stopping on his right side. She didn't want to get too close while he was slashing away like a mad-man.

Nico noticed her apprehensiveness. 'What, are you scared now too?'

Thalia scrunched her eyebrows. 'Excuse me?' She sensed it was an insult.

Nico paused his strikes momentarily, possibly identifying the sincerity in her voice. Despite this, he started beating up the dummy again. 'Scared of me. Like the others.'

Thalia's mouth fell open slightly, her brow growing more creased. 'What? I -'

'Oh come on Thalia!' Nico stopped slashing, facing her with a hurt expression. He looked even more alone than he previously had. 'You can't even stand near me! Did the others say something about me?'

'What? No! Why do you think everyone's against you?' Thalia found herself raising her voice to compensate with Nico's anger.

'Because they are!' he yelled, swinging his sword at the dummy fiercely. Thalia could tell he didn't want to express his feelings, but the more she pushed the more chance there was of him admitting how he felt.

'Says who!?' she shouted. 'You just assume they do!'

Nico laughed bitterly. 'Oh really? Then tell me: why wont they spar with me?'

She paused. 'I don't -'

'Why won't anyone talk to me? Why does everyone keep their distance when I practice - like you're doing now - in case I, like, attack them!'

Thalia's mouth stayed open as she tried to form words. It was true - most people stayed away from him. It was also true that she was standing away from him right now because she was scared; scared that he would hurt her. To make him open up she would have to show him that she wasn't scared of him like the others were.

Nico stood three or so metres in front of her, panting from his outburst. His Stygian iron sword was still in his hand, but Thalia ignored that. She had to believe he wouldn't hurt her. She _had _to.

She strode confidently towards him until there was only a gap of only a few inches between them. She could hear his hard breathing as he watched her intently. She grabbed his face with both of her hands and looked him straight in the eyes.

'I'm not scared.' She tried to sound confident but her voice came out kind of breathy. Nico's eyes widened slightly at their close proximity and the tone of her voice.

No words came out of his mouth as he studied her hard expression, looking for any signs that she was lying. Thalia saw a whirlwind of emotions pass through his eyes, the most prominent being disbelief.

'R-really?' he croaked. Thalia nodded, feeling him shuffle closer to her.

After a few seconds of unbroken eye contact, Thalia heard a thud. She looked down to see Nico's sword laid next to them, followed by two large, warm hands resting lightly on her hips. Thalia wouldn't deny it felt good - _gods _it did - but she knew what would happen next. And that just couldn't happen.

She dropped her hands from his face, laying them on the front of his shoulders. Her head fell, resting her forehead against his collar bones. 'Nico...'

He sighed, relaxing his hands so that he could lightly wrap them around her waist. Her breathing hitched slightly as he lent his head next to hers.

'I know,' he mumbled.

He sounded so...let down. Thalia's heart clenched at the thought of it being her fault. She was supposed to be helping him, not giving him more reasons to be upset.

She kept her head lowered, her eyes falling shut. 'You do?'

She felt him nod. 'You don't...you don't like me like...like that.' He sounded so embarrassed, his voice so mumbled that Thalia just about made out what he said.

She lent back, eyes wide. 'No! I mean, yes. Well, no, but I want - oh gods.' She put her head back on his collar, her head spinning. What could she say? She couldn't admit she liked him, that would be leading him on, even if she did like him. She liked him _very_ much. But she was a hunter - she couldn't promise anything, even if she desperately wanted to.

He sighed deeply, followed by a chuckle. 'I don't understand you.'

A smile tugged at Thalia's lips. She could feel her heat beating a mile a minute, and the heat from Nico's arms were sending sparks through her thin black tank top.

'Just hold me,' she said, sighing intently. She felt Nico's arms tighten as she weaved her arms under his and held his shoulders from the back. She breathed in his scent, a smell between Lynx and good old sweat. She was surprised that he didn't smell more...dead. She immediately scolded herself as these were the kinds of stereotypes that lead to people fearing Nico. How could they be scared of him? He was just a lonely boy with a bad past. He was just like any other camper.

Thalia knew they had to let go sooner or later, but being in his arms was something that was missing from her life. She realised that she couldn't carry on as a hunter if she would have to miss out on _this. __This _was absolutely amazing - she had never felt so many pleasuring emotions flood through her so fast. But she knew it couldn't last forever. And she also knew the hunters were right behind that bush; they would probably come looking for her.

But right now she didn't care - they boy who she cared for most was holding her, and nothing, _nothing _was better than this. Not even immortality.

X-X-X

'Well?'

Thalia jumped, her hand on her heart. 'Holy crap, Annabeth! You scared the shit out of me.'

Annabeth simply raised one blond eyebrow. 'And you haven't been avoiding me at all, have you?'

'Pffft. Me? No,' Thalia smirked.

Annabeth laughed before dragging Thalia into her cabin. A few sons and daughters of Athena were hanging out in there, reading and sketching buildings. Annabeth gave them a pointed look, and they all scuttled out of the room hastily.

Thalia laughed. 'Abuse of power, much?'

Annabeth waved her off. Her expression turned serious, which Thalia copied perfectly.

'Well?'

'Well?' Thalia repeated, a sweet smile on her lips.

Annabeth hit her arm. 'What's up with you and Nico!'

Thalia suddenly felt incredibly uncomfortable. 'There aren't any cameras in here, right? Are you wearing a wire?'

Annabeth gave Thalia a dead expression. 'Why would I do that.'

Thalia shrugged. 'Maybe because I'm about to tell you something incredibly personal and you want to video it to mock me later?'

Annabeth's eyes widened with delight. 'So you _do _have feelings for him!'

'Ughh' was the only sound Thalia made as she flopped onto Annabeth's bunk, burying her face away from Annabeth. She knew these next minutes would be absolute torture.

'Since when?' Thalia felt the bed drop as Annabeth sat next to her.

Thalia rolled onto her side so she could see Annabeth, hair covering her face. 'I don't know,' she admitted. 'I guess I've always sympathised with him, gods knows why. But recently...' Her cheeks heated up.

She expected Annabeth so squeal with delight or something along those lines, but she just rubbed Thalia's arm. 'He got hot?'

Thalia's blush grew viciously as Annabeth began laughing her head off. 'Not funny!' Thalia complained, turning back so she was face-down on the bed again.

'Aw, I'm sorry. It's just that I've never seen you this way before,' Annabeth said.

Thalia turned back to her. 'Well it ain't very fun.'

Annabeth smiled. 'Crushes never are. _Believe me_.'

'It's not a crush! I'm not 10!'

Annabeth rolled her eyes. 'You're acting like you are! Now stop being so melodramatic.'

Thalia sat up, pushing the short pieces of hair away from her face. 'What do I do?' she asked.

Annabeth hummed thoughtfully. 'Well the biggest issue here is that you're a hunter.'

Thalia sighed. 'I don't know what to do. I want to leave but I can't.'

Annabeth looked puzzled (for once). 'Why not?'

Realisation flooded into Thalia's mind. The battle was over. Percy had been the child of the prophecy, so what was stopping her from quitting the hunt?

'I...' For some reason she couldn't say she wanted to quit. Maybe because it felt so final - once she had left there was no return. Artemis and the hunters would probably hate her and she wouldn't be immortal any more. But if she did quit she could stay at camp, see Annabeth and Percy all the time and of course she could be with Nico.

The fact that the hunt was the only think stopping her and Nico being together made her giddy. But being with him wouldn't help him sort out his problems, and if she couldn't do that before quitting the hunters then she had failed herself.

'It's okay,' Annabeth said. 'Sometimes in life you don't know what to do. And that's okay. Just...don't be too hasty with any decisions. And don't be too hard on yourself.'

Thalia smiled, thankful to have someone as intelligent and level-headed as Annabeth in her life.

First things first, she needed to get Nico to open up to her.

X-X-X

The next few days were a vortex of Nico. If they weren't practise fighting then they were talking. It was a new concept to Nico - being able to talk to someone else about _anything. _Not once did Thalia bring up the subject of his past, which Nico was incredibly thankful for.

After a week had past the two demigods had rarely _not _seen each other. It was as if their life forces were being tied together a fibre at a time. Thalia couldn't speak for Nico, but she felt a mind-blowing number of emotions, all positive of course. She couldn't bare to be without the boy, and during those infrequent moments that she was spending time with the hunters or Annabeth and Percy she couldn't get him out of her head. The thoughts weren't those of affection (although they were quite frequent too), but mostly _I wonder what's he's doing? What if he were here? _A part of him had inhabited her mind. And that didn't bother her.

However there was that one time that they did have a serious talk. The two of them were leaning against the large rock which Thalia had observed Percy and Annabeth from all those days ago. They summer air circulated them and the sparkling water encapsulated their calm moods perfectly.

They were sat very close to each other, close enough to touch. Thalia could see the consistent rise and fall of Nico's chest in time with her own. Neither of them had said much that afternoon, until Nico broke the serene silence.

'Was the only reason you asked to sword practise with me really just because Percy was busy?'

Thalia was taken aback by his question. Was it? Of course not. But she couldn't bring herself to look into his eyes.

'No,' she said quietly, fiddling with a stone she had found next to her outstretched legs.

Nico turned to face her. 'Then why did you?'

Still looking down, Thalia mumbled, 'Because I wanted to talk to you.'

Nico didn't respond, which Thalia took as a bad sign. Apprehensively she raised her head to see Nico looking puzzled.

'What?' she asked with a light laugh, finding his expression adorable.

'It's just that no one's said that before.' It was Thalia's turn to looked confused, so Nico elaborated. 'No one's gone out of their way to interact with me before.'

Thalia saw the hurt on his face. Over the past her week she had managed to get frequent smiles out of the boy and a few hearty laughs. But now...now he looked like that loner she had seen on her first day back at camp. And it broke her heart.

'Nico,' she whispered, holding his face with one hand, the other on the ground to support her weight. 'Forget the others. _I'm _here, okay? _I _care about you. _I -_' She stopped herself. She couldn't say she liked him, that would be breaking the hunters' code, even if she felt different.

'But for how long?' Nico asked, his face forlorn.

Thalia realised what he meant. It was a matter of days before Artemis was done with her "business" and she would have to go back to the hunt. That thought made her feel sick.

Thalia rubbed her thumb against Nico's cheek before dropping her hand and leaning against the rock with a sigh, looking out to the water.

'I don't know,' she admitted.

The two of them carried on in silence, soaking in the fact that this may be the last time they ever see each other again.

X-X-X

'Lady Artemis had contacted!'

The hunters frantically surrounded Phoebe to hear her news. Well, all except Thalia whom was frozen on her bunk. She couldn't leave now! She _couldn't_.

'What did she say?' one hunter asked excitedly.

'She has told me,' Phoebe emphasised the word "me", as if to show that Artemis thought more of Phoebe than of Thalia. Thalia didn't mind right now, she had bigger worries than her egotistic companion's jibe. 'That she will be arriving tomorrow. So tonight is our last night at this dreadful camp!'

Cheers echoed around the cabin, but Thalia felt as though she was outside the cabin and hearing their joyous applause. She couldn't believe that she would be leaving the place where she felt happiest, for how long? Her stomach churned.

'Right,' Thalia spoke, her voice shaky. 'Well, we had better make the most of this night, hmm?'

X-X-X

She probably should have met with Annabeth and Percy in hindsight, but her sole focus was on the son of Hades which she had become so close with. Her heart was cracking right down the middle at her current dilemma. To stay or not to stay? She knew which she desired.

She knocked on the Hades cabin door. Nico swung the door open, a smile instantly making its way onto his face. 'Hey, Thalia.'

'Hey,' she replied, her voice tight. 'We never did have that rematch, did we?'

X-X-X

Of course, Nico beat her.

But how was she to concentrate with a tricky predicament on her mind and an astonishingly handsome boy fighting her?

Thalia back was on the floor, her spear at least 50 yards away. Nico was more or less straddling her, his black sword lightly pressed to her throat and his free arm resting next to her head. His shaggy hair framed his face as he leant down in front of her, a triumphant smirk planted firmly on his lips. He had barely broken a sweat, Thalia lost that badly. But in this position her mind wasn't focused on that.

She could feel Nico's body leaning further down on her, his smirk disappearing and lust filling his eyes. Butterflies were threatening to burst of of her stomach, much like her heart was. She could barely remember to breath regularly.

Nico was only a few inches from her face, eyes drooping when she blurted out, 'The hunters are leaving tomorrow.'

His face went slack. He stayed hovering above her, and she thought she had don't the wrong thing. But it would have been worse if she had allowed him to kiss her, and then she had left.

Nico swallowed. 'In the morning?'

Thalia nodded. 'I'm sorry.'

Nico sighed and got off her. They both sat opposite each other on the empty field, taking in the reality of the situation. Neither of them spoke for a very long time.

'I don't want to go,' Thalia admitted.

Nico's head cocked upwards. 'You don't?'

She shook her head. 'The hunters...I'm not one of them. Yeah, it's cool being immortal and stuff but at the end of the day I don't want to hate guys forever,' she said the last part quietly.

'Anyone in particular?' Nico asked.

Thalia rolled her eyes. 'Shut up.'

He smiled. She could see the hope flooding back into his eyes. 'I'm happy you don't want to go. I don't know what I'd do without you.'

Those words sparked something in Thalia. They burned a fire straight to her heart, warming her insides. 'Me neither.'

She remembered her promise to herself; that she would make Nico let her in. This was her only chance to do it before she left.

'Tell me about your past.'

Nico's eyes became as hard as steel. 'What about it? There's nothing to tell.'

Thalia raised an eyebrow. 'Oh _really_. You're mother and sister are dead, your father is the god of the Underworld and you're the loneliest boy at camp. There's nothing to tell?'

Thalia could tell she had angered Nico, but if she didn't do this now there was a chance she never would.

'What, you expect me to tell you all my deepest darkest secrets? It's a two-way street.'

Thalia's eyebrows knitted together. 'What?'

'Tell me about _your_ past,' he clarified.

Thalia swore her heart beat stopped. Her past was a very difficult thing for her to talk about, so obviously she didn't want to. But she realised that she couldn't expect Nico to open up about himself if she didn't do the same.

Thalia took a deep breath. 'My mum was an actress, which interested Zeus. She got pregnant with me and we were happy until...' She closed her eyes and tried to steady her voice. 'Until Zeus left. My mum turned to alcohol to compensate. It wasn't a very nice childhood,' she laughed dryly.

'Seven years later, Zeus returned as Jupiter, his Roman form. Mum gave birth to my brother Jason, but that wasn't enough for her. She wanted to see Olympus and be granted things by Zeus.

'Two years later, when I was nine, mum took us to a picnic where my brother was k-kidnapped,' her voice cracked. Nico's eyes stayed planted on her, not judging at all.

'I haven't seen him since,' she continued, tears pricking at her eyes. 'I'm assuming he's dead.'

Nico nodded, familiar to death. His eyes shared the same pain that Thalia was feeling, which made her feel a little better.

She wiped her eyes fiercely, about to add to her story when Nico spoke. 'My mother died because Hades couldn't protect her in time, like he did with me and my sister, Bianca. He sent us both to the Lotus Hotel where we grew up but didn't age. We were brought to camp when I was 10, and Bianca joined the hunters. Like you, she did it because she didn't want to be the child of the prophecy,' he said with a smile. Thalia was awestruck - she didn't think Nico would be able to piece it together so well. Only a handful of people knew why she had joined the hunt. Maybe Nico knew her better than she had thought.

His gaze turned hard as he looked at the ground. 'But she died. Percy says she died to protect them which I couldn't believe at first. He _promised _to keep her safe. Promised! Now I have no one,' he said quietly. 'Well, I _had _no one.'

Thalia smiled, happy to have had such a positive influence in Nico's life. 'Everyone was terrified of me. _I _was terrified of me. I had power...a scary power. No one wanted to be around the kid who could snap so easily and have you murdered by an army of skeleton warriors. I don't blame them.'

'No one deserves to be treated like that,' Thalia said sternly. 'You aren't your father, you aren't your powers. You can control them, which makes you even more powerful in my eyes.'

Nico looked at her with appreciation. The pain she had seen in his eyes before was still there, but that was okay. It was okay because now she could see relief in his eyes that someone actually liked him and wasn't afraid.

Before she knew it they were sitting closer to each other, and very close at that. She could hear his breathing, shallow and rugged. Her's wasn't too different.

He had finally opened up to her and now she fully understood him. This feeling was immensely irresistible. She was now so emotionally close to Nico that she could feel herself being physically pulled.

Song lyrics unexpectedly began playing in her head: _Far Away _by Nickelback. She couldn't help but smile at how much they suited how she felt right now.

_Just one chance,_  
_Just one breath,_  
_Just in case there's just one left_

She was sitting on her folded legs, Nico had one leg bent in front of him and the one closest to Thalia was straight, barely any space between them. His hands lent forwards and held her waist unlike before - now they were firm, as if he wouldn't take no as an answer. A fire of passion burned in his eyes.

_'Cause you know,_  
_You know, you know_

Thalia felt herself leaning forwards, her hands trailing up Nico's chest to his neck. She felt him shiver slightly as she weaved her fingers through his dark hair. Their faces were only an inch apart now, so Thalia dared to look into Nico's eyes. They portrayed a sense of security - the security Thalia had given him. He trusted her. He had finally let her in.

_That I love you,  
I have loved you all along_

Their lips crashed together, heat burning from her lips all the way to her toes. The sparks she had felt when Nico had accidentally brushed his arm against hers, or held her shoulders when he snuck up behind her were nothing compared to the fireworks exploding over and over again throughout her veins. The hunters and Artemis didn't cross her mind once; all she could think of was the amazing boy who was kissing her.

_And I miss you,_  
_Been far away for far too long_

She couldn't imagine why she hadn't done this before; it was absolutely bewildering. She just wanted Nico's arms around her all the time as they kissed over and over and over again. She would _never _get tired of this. She realised how much she had missed him while she was away from camp - he was the piece missing from her life. She needed him just as much as he needed her.

Nico kept one arm wrapped tightly around Thalia's waist, using the other to cradle her face. The kiss was slow and passionate; a million feelings being passed from body to body.

_I keep dreaming you'll be with me,  
and you'll never go_

The knew she couldn't leave camp now. Not now, not ever. Not as long as this boy was in her life. She didn't think she could survive without him.

Thalia twisted so she could push pressure on Nico, silently telling him to lay on his back. He complied, allowing her to straddle him as their lips stayed connected. Her hands went from behind his neck to grabbing at his black t-shirt. She needed him _closer._

_Stop breathing if  
I don't see you anymore_

Slowly they pulled apart, both breathing heavily. Their eyes were glued to each other, and Thalia still noticed how ruffled his hair had become and the light pink blush dusting his cheeks. She was positive she looked the same, which filled her with glee. If she could affect this boy half much as he affected her...well, they weren't going to spend a lot of time talking.

X-X-X

The two of them spent the whole night together under the stars. The harpies didn't bother them, probably because it was two dangerous to attempt to separate two children of the Big Three whom were so incredibly infatuated with each other.

The night was filled with stolen kisses, deep conversations and holding each other. They both knew what the morning would bring, so when the sun had risen over the horizon neither of them were too willing to get up.

Thalia snuck back into the Artemis cabin in the early hours of the morning, careful not to wake any of the hunters. She tried to sleep, but her head was overwhelmed with images of Nico and Artemis' rage when she found out.

By the time morning had come, most of the hunters had packed. Some asked why Thalia hadn't packed yet, but she waved them off. She couldn't tell them she wasn't leaving with them. Not yet.

The head counsellors and Chiron had come so send off the hunters. Annabeth hugged Thalia tightly as a good-bye, in which Thalia had to play along. Behind Annabeth she saw Nico standing in the shadow of a large tree, waiting, watching.

After what felt like hours of waiting, Artemis appeared over the hill. Her demeanour was one which radiated power, which scared the hell out of Thalia.

'Chiron,' she greeted. 'I thank you for taking care of my hunters.'

'It was my pleasure,' Chiron answered with a smile.

Artemis nodded. She turned to the hunters, 'Are you ready to leave?'

'Uh - actually, My Lady, I was hoping to have a word with you,' Thalia said. Her heart was pounding as her nerves build up inside her. Was she doing the right thing?

'Thalia. I had a feeling you would. Come.'

Thalia followed Artemis, stopping next to her Pine tree far away from the group. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak.

'You have found love,' Artemis interrupted.

Thalia was taken aback. 'You-you know?'

Artemis simply nodded. 'I see what my hunters are doing, Thalia. I cannot say I didn't sense it coming, though. You did not join the hunt for the conventional reasons the girls usually do.'

Thalia swallowed. 'Are you disappointed?'

Artemis sighed. 'Of course; you were an excellent hunter, and an even better lieutenant. However I am not angry.'

'R-really?' Thalia stuttered. This was going better than she had planned.

'Yes. Although I cannot say I approve of your choice in males...he is quite, ah, _scrawny_.'

Thalia laughed, letting out all the tension she had been holding in. 'Yes, well, I'll have to deal with that.'

Artemis smiled. 'Yes you will. Good luck, Thalia. I will always remember you.'

The goddess raised her hand, a glow being sucked from Thalia and into her hand. Thalia fell to her knees, unaccustomed to being mortal. She felt so much weaker.

Thalia stood. She smiled weakly at the goddess. Artemis returned the smile before walking back towards the hunters. They all had confused expressions on their faces, until they looked at Thalia and noticed that she wasn't coming.

Thalia smiled at them, which they returned as well. Next thing she knew they were gone, Thalia left on the top of Half-Blood Hill.

Before she knew it, Annabeth was sprinting towards her. She swallowed her in a hug, earning a laugh from Thalia. She was staying here, with her friends. With Nico.

Once she and Annabeth had separated, Thalia looked towards Nico. He had come out of the shade, a smile on his face. Thalia found herself running towards him and wrapping herself in his arms. The rest of the song began playing in her head:

_I wanted,_  
_I wanted you to stay_

'I'm so glad you're staying,' Nico mumbled in her ear. Thalia shut her eyes and took in the moment - she was staying, that's all that mattered.

_'Cause I needed,_  
_I needed to hear you say_

Thalia pulled back slightly. She caressed Nico's cheek in her hand, rubbing her thumb across his cheek bone. Nico's face was a picture of joy - no more was that scowl he wore everyday, gone was the sorrow on his face. Thalia smiled, which Nico mirrored.

'Me too.'

_That I love you,_  
_I have loved you all along _

They slowly brought their lips together, pleasure filling their bones. The fireworks began all over again, and Thalia was sure that if Nico wasn't holding her, her knees would give way. She tightened her arms around his neck and felt him smile against her lips, which made her heart beat faster. Their bodies were so close that she could feel his heart beating just as fast as hers, which made her head spin.

_And I forgive you,_  
_For being away for far too long_

What would have her life been like if she had to carry on without this boy? Well, in the few days that she had been growing closer and closer to him her life had improved an unbelievable amount. Rarely did she not smile now. And in the time which she would have with him at camp...well, they'd grow even closer.

Thalia finally understood why Percy had sulked at the picnic; if anyone had butted in on her time with Nico, Thalia would have done something much worse than sulked.

Thalia was sure people were starting to gather around them, but her head was so lost in the whirlpool that was Nico di Angelo that she didn't care.

_So keep breathing,_  
_'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore_

She was _definitely_ not leaving if she was going to miss out on _this._ She felt Nico's tongue touch her lips, involuntarily making her open her mouth. This...this was unexplainable. Words couldn't give justice to how amazing this felt. One of her hands raked through his hair, making him shiver again. She smiled.

_Believe it,_  
_Hold on to me and, never let me go._

She couldn't believe it - and she probably never would. She was _definitely _not letting this boy go. Never again.

* * *

**Holy crap I just have so many feelings for Nico after HoH *-* MY BABY COME HERE *squeezes the life out of Nico***

**S****o I decided to give him a happy ending in this story. And who better than with kick-ass Thalia? Even though it probably wouldn't be possible now...details, details.**

**Anywho I'm planning to write a one-shot for every PJO/HOO character pairing, so follow me if you want to be a part of that ;) more info on my profile! **

**All reviews welcome :)**


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